Two Warren third-graders hospitalized after eating pills they thought were candy

Two third-graders at a Warren school were hospitalized after they ate what they thought was candy but turned out to be niacin, a Van Dyke Public Schools administrator and the mother of one of the kids said Wednesday.

"She called and said her whole body was red. She was feeling like she had been running. She was hot to the touch and had chills. And, itchy," said the Warren mom. "I went up to the school and that's when I found out that a kid had brought in some pills."

Buss said a paramedic told her during the ride to a local hospital that the young girl's symptoms pointed to an overdose of niacin.

Advertisement

"She looked scared," said Buss, who thinks her daughter was frightened because of the presence of police. "I think she was more worried that she was in trouble."

Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is often added to foods and is present in many multivitamins and nutritional supplements. According to www.drugs.com, niacin often is used to reduce the risk of heart attack for people with high cholesterol or those that have already had a heart attack.

Flushing of the skin is a side effect of niacin.

Kaitlin remained at the St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital for about two hours of observation and was released after her accelerated heart rate returned to normal, her mother said.

Buss said a school staffer obtained a pill that was thrown into a garbage can by a third student.

The student was offered the "candy" but declined to eat it. Buss said the hospital's pharmacy confirmed the pill was niacin.

Buss said her daughter felt fine the rest of Tuesday and returned to school on Wednesday. She said the boy who ate one of the pills also was feeling well Tuesday night and even spoke with Kaitlin.

Van Dyke Public Schools Superintendent Joe Pius said a student brought over-the-counter vitamins to school and, along with another student, offered it to classmates as candy. Two kids each ingested a pill.

School officials summoned the parents of all four children.

"Two kids were taken to the hospital just for precautionary measures," Pius said. "We made sure the kids were fine."

Pius said the parents of the other two students were interviewed. Both pupils "were dealt with" in accord with the district's student code of conduct, the superintendent said. He declined to elaborate.

"This was an isolated incident. It was dealt with immediately," Pius added.

Buss said she learned that parents of the children who offered the pills to classmates wanted to go to the hospital to express regret over the incident but were advised by the Lincoln Elementary School principal to not make that visit.

The Warren mom said police told her charges would be filed in the case.

The Macomb Daily attempted to reach Warren Police Commissioner Jere Green and Deputy Police Commissioner Louis Galasso but a clerk said the police administration is not commenting on the incident.